| US 7,580,539 B2 | ||
| Compact foldable headphone | ||
| Yoshinori Tachikawa, Machida (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Audio-Technica, Machida-Shi, Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Sep. 09, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/221,722. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2004-271761 (JP), filed on Sep. 17, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0062417 A1, Mar. 23, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. H04R 25/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 381—374 [381/379] | 5 Claims |

| 1. A headphone comprising:
a pair of right and left headphone units,
an elastic band formed substantially into a U shape to be mounted on a human head for supporting the headphone units in end
portions thereof, and
multiaxial arm joints, each being formed between an end part of the elastic band and the headphone unit, and including a first
arm having one end connected turnably to the end part of the elastic band, and a second arm having one end connected turnably
to the other end of the first arm and the other end connected turnably to the headphone unit, the second arm having a dimension
longer than that of the first arm, a curved portion in an intermediate part thereof expanding forward when the headphone is
mounted on the head, and turnable connecting means provided between an inside of the other end of the second arm and an outer
peripheral end surface of the headphone unit,
wherein the one end of the first arm is connected to the end part of the elastic band so that the first arm can be turned
toward an internal space of the elastic band,
the one end of the second arm is connected to the other end of the first arm so that, in the internal space of the elastic
band, a sound radiating surface of an ear pad of the headphone unit can be turned so as to be directed rearward from a position
at which the sound radiating surface faces an ear side when the headphone is mounted on the head; and
the headphone unit is connected to the other end of the second arm through the turnable connecting means so that the sound
radiating surface of the ear pad can be turned along a plane direction when the headphone is mounted on the head, whereby
by tuning connecting portions of the multiaxial arm joints, the headphone units are housed within the internal space encircled
by the elastic band from a state in which the headphone is mounted on the head.
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